Boston Marathon

Week 15 Recap

April 19, 2011 by Kristy 2 Comments

4/19/11

6 miles

52:00

8:40 avg pace

First things first, let’s talk about Boston! Unbelievable, right? Desiree Davila taking second place and missing first by a mere 2 seconds. Geoffrey Mutai ran the fastest marathon ever, 2:03:02, but it won’t be considered a world record since the Boston course is point-to-point and has a net downhill elevation. So how fast was Mutai running? Oh, you know, just your normal 4:30 pace! I can’t even fathom that amount of speed for 26.2 miles! Impressive finishes all around.

Kara Goucher came in 5th place with a 1-minute PR just 6 and a half months after having a baby. Damn! Check out the Runner’s World post-race interview and video here.

Onto today’s run. I was supposed to hit the track for my last round of speed work and decided a marathon-paced run would be a better fit. I just don’t see the point of tiring out my legs with 1000m repeats. I’d rather practice my goal marathon pace (8:40); which I followed precisely 🙂

Week 15 Recap of NJ Marathon training:
MON: 7 miles easy
TUE: 5 miles speed + yoga
WED: rest
THU: rest
FRI: 5 miles tempo (fail!)
SAT: rest
SUN: 12.5 miles (Penn Relays 20K)

Only 29.5 miles for the week. I was hoping for 32 miles but Friday’s tempo just didn’t work out as planned. The good news is my asthma is much better and I’ll still be on antibiotics for another week. Yeah, no germs can catch me!

Boston Madness

April 18, 2011 by Kristy 9 Comments

Who has Boston fever?! I do! Today is the 115th Boston Marathon and I’ll be glued to my computer watching it all unfold. This time last year I was a spectator (the race coincided with my RRCA-coaching certification) and it was unbelievable! The whole city goes nuts in celebration. Knowing how excited I was to watch the race last year, I cannot begin to imagine what it’s like to run it.

I’ve been obsessed with the Boston Marathon ever since I started running 10 years ago. Once I found out you had to qualify in order to run it, I was hooked. Then I found out how fast you had to run to qualify and I have to admit, I felt defeated and thought it was an impossibility. But I like to set goals and challenge myself so I made it my “running dream” to qualify and run Boston some day.

To me, qualifying and running the Boston Marathon means you reached the crème de la crème status in running. First you are a marathoner, then a Boston qualifier, and then a Boston Marathoner. You made it.

I think about qualifying for Boston a lot, especially right now with my 8^th marathon just 2 weeks away. Right now, as I type this, my heart rate increases just a smidge at the prospect of qualifying. I want to experience that feeling at Mile 26, with 0.2 miles left, when you know you are going to qualify. I think I would burst into tears of joy and hyperventilate.

I want to BQ. I want that coveted Boston jacket. When people ask if I have ever run Boston, I want to say yes. I want to be a Boston Marathoner.

But for today I will follow the race online and cheer everyone on from my cube at work 🙂 Best of luck to Aron, Keri, and Dorothy who are all running Boston today. You ladies will do great!

And…go Kara go…I really, really hope you win the women’s race!!

Here are some pictures from last year’s race.

Getting ready to spectate! Yes, I wear that North Face jacket everywhere.

WOW!

March 24, 2011 by Kristy 14 Comments

3/24/11

7 miles easy

10:00 pace

7 miles on the boring treadmill while watching Teen Mom. It’s freezing here and doing the rain/snow thing. I kept the pace real easy since I have an 18-miler on schedule for tomorrow.

Moving on to more important stuff…welcome new readers! To say I’m overwhelmed by being yesterday’s featured cat lady would be an understatement! I’m still in the process of reading all of your comments (thank you!) and plan on responding to each and every one of them (all while stalking your blogs). To bring you up to speed, I figured I’d include some running fun facts in this post.

I’m training for my 8th marathon, the NJ Marathon, on May 1. I’m thinking of sporting a Snooki-esque bumpit and faux tan for the marathon….to, ya know, blend in. I kid, I kid…my parents live at the Jersey Shore.
You can read about my training plan here.
I’m obsessed with the Boston Marathon (trying to qualify, that is). I don’t plan on qualifying on May 1 (I hope to run a 3:50); just hoping to get one step closer.
I LOVE long runs – especially 18-20 milers.
I LOATHE speed work but do it each week.
I incorporated yoga into my training cycle this time around and it has made a huge difference in my flexibility. I didn’t realize how tight my hips and hamstrings were from running until I went to a class.

Speaking of yoga, last night I went to RYAH for a 75-min vinyasa class. Maura was the instructor; I’ve taken her Wake Up Yoga class before and really like her. Her class last night was kinda intense (holding poses for a long time) and kinda relaxing (letting us stay in child’s pose for just a wee bit longer). The only problem? The music! Didn’t help that I was right next to the speaker either. I know I tend to fixate on things while practicing yoga but this was like a techno song that never ended (but it was chanting…nonstop). During savasana all I could concentrate on was “om shanti om shanti om shanti shanti om”. Over and over. Eek! I’m still ~~singing~~ chanting it!

Is it just me or do you fixate on certain things during a yoga class? Or while running? Sometimes during races, if I’m iPodless, the sound of feet smacking the pavement gets to me after awhile!

New Boston Qualifying Standards

February 16, 2011 by Kristy 2 Comments

So much for celebrating my jump to the next age category in Boston (read about that here)! Today the B.A.A. announced new registration guidelines for 2012 and new qualifying standards for 2013.

Thanks to Cindi for posting this info on her blog!

Jeez, looks like I need that 3:40 after all…unless I qualify for the 2012 race and then cross my fingers that I can register with their new “rolling admission”! I got my work cut out for me!

2012 Boston Marathon

For the 2012 Boston Marathon, registration will extend for two weeks, beginning on Monday, September 12, 2011 and continuing until Friday, September 23, 2011. The qualifying times for the 2012 Boston Marathon will not change from recent past years since the standards had been previously announced and have been in effect since last September. However, the new registration process addresses the increased demand among qualified runners to participate in the Boston Marathon and will accommodate those who are the fastest qualifiers first.

Registration will occur on a “rolling admission” schedule until the maximum field size is reached, beginning with the fastest qualifiers. On the first day of registration for the 2012 Boston Marathon, those who are eligible for entry by having met the qualifying standards for their age and gender group by 20 minutes or more will be able to enter on the first day of registration (September 12). On the third day (September 14), registration will open for those who have met their qualifying standards by 10 minutes or more. On the fifth day (September 16), registration will open for those who have met their qualifying standards by five minutes or more. During this first week of registration, applicants will be notified as they are accepted and their qualifying performance verified.

If the field size is not reached after the first week and additional space remains, then registration will open to all qualifiers at the beginning of Week Two (September 19) and those who have met the qualifying standards by any amount of time will be able to apply for entry. The application process will remain open for the entire week, closing on September 23. At the conclusion of Week Two, those who are the fastest among the pool of applicants in their age and gender will be accepted. Accepted athletes will be notified on September 28.

If space remains available after this two week process, registration will remain open to any qualifier on a first come, first served basis until the maximum field size is reached.

The field size for the 2012 Boston Marathon will not represent a significant increase from the most recent years.

Registration Process for the 2012 Boston Marathon

Date	registration opens for runners with times…
September 12, 2011	20 min., 00sec. or more below their qualifying time (based on age/gender)
September 14, 2011	10 min., 00 sec. or more below their qualifying time (based on age/gender)
September 16, 2011	5 min., 00 sec. or more below their qualifying time (based on age/gender)
Second Week
September 19, 2011	All Qualified Runners
September 23, 2011	Registration closes for qualified applicants
September 28, 2011 (appx)	Qualifiers from entry during second week of registration are notified of their acceptance.

If the field is not filled at the conclusion of the two weeks, then registration will remain open and qualifiers will be accepted on a first come, first served basis until the maximum field size is reached.

2013 Boston Marathon

For the 2013 Boston Marathon, in addition to the new “rolling admission” process for registration which will be in effect for the 2012 Boston Marathon, the B.A.A. will adjust the qualifying times by lowering them by five minutes from the times which have been in effect in recent past years. The adjusted qualifying times will go into effect on September 24, 2011, and are as follows:

2013 Qualifying Times (effective September 24, 2011)

Age Group	Men	Women
18-34	3hrs 05min 00sec	3hrs 35min 00sec
35-39	3hrs 10min 00sec	3hrs 40min 00sec
40-44	3hrs 15min 00sec	3hrs 45min 00sec
45-49	3hrs 25min 00sec	3hrs 55min 00sec
50-54	3hrs 30min 00sec	4hrs 00min 00sec
55-59	3hrs 40min 00sec	4hrs 10min 00sec
60-64	3hrs 55min 00sec	4hrs 25min 00sec
65-69	4hrs 10min 00sec	4hrs 40min 00sec
70-74	4hrs 25min 00sec	4hrs 55min 00sec
75-79	4hrs 40min 00sec	5hrs 10min 00sec
80 and over	4hrs 55min 00sec	5hrs 25min 00sec
*Unlike previous years, an additional 59 seconds will NOT be accepted for each age group time standard

One Year Older, One Year Wiser

February 9, 2011 by Kristy 5 Comments

Today is my birthday! I’m 34. I immediately start to think of my age in terms of running (is that strange?). This is my last year in the 30-34 age group and (the best part) I get 5 more minutes added to my BQ time. Let me explain…according to the B.A.A., “qualifying times are based upon each athlete’s age on the date of the Boston Marathon in which they are participating”. Since I’m clearly not running Boston in 2011, my first chance would be 2012 and I would be 35 on the day of the race. That means I need a 3:45 qualifying time…as of now. The B.A.A. had some changes in leadership this year and there is some talk of changing the qualifying times. We’ll see. I’m not even focusing on BQing this year (of course, I’d welcome it with open arms if it did happen). I’m just trying to get my marathon pace below 9:00 and try for 3:50 at the NJ Marathon.

I’m in San Fran for my birthday! Matt asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday and I said “go to SF”! It’s been almost 3 years since my last visit and I’ve been itching to get back. This is the BEST birthday present.

Back to turning 34. I’m fine with it. I certainly don’t feel 34. My friend Kristin said that’s because I don’t have kids…and that may very well be true. My 34-year-old self could kick my (drunken) 24-year-old self to the curb!

My 30s have been great so far (I included highlights below!). Fun like my 20s but also fulfilling, if that makes any sense. And my definition of fun has changed (I know that’s a sign of getting older!). Movies and pizza on a Friday night vs. going to a bar. I still like to go out and have fun but I hated crowded and loud bars. I prefer dinner and drinks and nice conversation 🙂

1. Getting engaged (June 2008). Matt and I dated for 10 years before getting engaged. He proposed on St. Joe’s campus and completely surprised me. It was absolutely perfect.

matt supermodel — After a night of celebrating

2. Buying our first house (June 2009). We looked at almost 40 houses. We saw our house on a Friday night and put a bid in the next morning. We knew what we wanted. And we love it! We moved in 6 weeks before our wedding, which was a little crazy. Sorry, I don’t really have any good pics but promise I’ll post some when all the painting is finished.

3. Getting married (July 2009). BEST day of my life. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. We had beautiful weather and everything went smoothly. We danced the night away with family and friends. I wish I could do it again every year (not the planning, just the reception!).

727 — I'll explain the glove in another post

4. Becoming an RRCA-certified running coach (April 2010). I’ve coached family and friends but wanted to make it “official”. That weekend in Boston was the first step in doing something I’ve always wanted to do. Hopefully soon I’ll launch a coaching business.

5. Getting Hawk (May 2010). I’ve always wanted a dog of my own (I come from a family of dog lovers). Matt was not a dog lover (but not a hater either). It didn’t take long for Matt to come around. He’s smitten with Hawk. Hawk makes us laugh on a daily basis and we love walking in the door and being greeted by 25 lbs of cuteness.

Hawk on Hawk Hill (St. Joseph's University)

6. Breaking 4:00 hours in the Steamtown Marathon (October 2010). This was huge for me mentally. I kind of got stuck in the 4:10 range for awhile and was dying to break through. I ran my first marathon at 27 but didn’t really “train” until my 30s. Now I know what works and what doesn’t and how hard I can push myself.

7. Going to Europe (September 2009). This was our honeymoon. Since neither of us had been to Europe and we couldn’t decide on a single country to visit, we took a cruise. The cruise itself was hokey and cheesy but we saw so much! It was like a European sampler. We loved the Amalfi Coast of Italy and Santorini, Greece.

8. Going to Australia (October 2010). This was a dream vacation for both of us. We stayed in Sydney, Melbourne, and Port Douglas (Great Barrier Reef area). Unreal…and the trip of a lifetime.

And with that I’m off to do some birthday celebrating in gorgeous San Fran!

2010: Lessons Learned

January 1, 2011 by Kristy 1 Comment

Thanks to all of you who subscribed to my blog! I’m really feelin’ the love 🙂

As I said in my first post, 2010 was a real eye opener for me in terms of training. I ran 2 marathons, 1 in May and 1 in October, and attended a 2-day coaching certification class in April. The class was amazing and I was literally hanging on every word. We spent a 1/2 day learning the physiology behind training or, essentially, why we torture ourselves with speed, tempo, long, easy runs, etc. Also included were lectures on nutrition, injury prevention/how to deal with injuries, and we spent an entire day examining and making up training schedules. I was in heaven. And, as if things weren’t great enough, the class was the Saturday and Sunday before the Boston Marathon. So naturally Matt and I stayed an extra day to watch the marathon. Now that’s a good weekend in my book!

I plan to do some posts in the future about what I learned in class but for now let’s move on to lessons learned…

My May marathon (#6 for me) was the Pocono Run for the Red Marathon. You can read my review here. I used Bart Yasso’s training plan from his book My Life on the Run (sidenote: Bart rocks and every runner should read this book). For the most part I followed his “seasoned” plan and mixed in a little of the “hard-core” plan. Looking back, I was running too fast. My goal marathon pace was 9:00 min/mile and most of my easy and long runs were done at that pace. A big no-no. I wasn’t allowing my body to recover from previous runs and get stronger. I should have slowed down and ran more hills…

I knew the race was hilly (it is the Pocono Mountains). I read race reviews and talked to people who ran it before and everyone said “some rolling hills with a few big hills at the end”. OK, so I’ll add a few hill workouts to my training and I’ll be fine. So that’s what I did. Come race day the rolling hills got the best of me. I maintained my 9:00 min/mile pace until Mile 19 when I gave up. Physically, I was exhausted. I was not used to maintaining that pace on rolling hills. Mentally, I gave up. I wanted to quit. I have never (ever) wanted to quit in any of my previous marathons. This is the kiss of death. Once you let the negative thoughts creep in and take over, you are done. I was also pissed. I trained so hard and this was it? After Mile 19, I took some walk breaks and crossed the finish line in 4:13 (I was training for a sub-4:00). Boo. Lessons learned: mimic the race course during your long runs so your body knows what to expect and step up your mental game!

After the May marathon I had 3 weeks “off” before I started training for my October marathon. I had never done back-to-back training cycles before and was nervous about getting burnt out. Marathon #7 was the Steamtown Marathon (review here). I decided to use Pete Pfitzinger’s 55/18 plan from his book Advanced Marathoning. The plan was to max out at 55 miles per week (a reasonable number since I maxed out at 50 mpw for marathon #6). That never happened. I started to notice some signs of overtraining (exhaustion, constantly running on dead legs, and irritability) and cut back on my mileage. I think I maxed out at 45 mpw. After a few weeks of reduced mileage, I felt great and even PR’d in a half marathon (1:49)! I think the back-to-back training cycles got the best of me.

I also did more tempo runs and more marathon-paced long runs in this cycle. These 2 runs gave me the confidence I needed to know that I could run a sub-4:00 marathon. This marathon was also hilly so I mimicked the course with each long run. As much as I hated all that hill work, it made me so much stronger. I did no speed work for this marathon, even though the training plan called for it.

During this time I was also coaching a group of runners to train for their first half marathon. We had group runs 2x/week. I used these group runs as my easy runs (and I really did take it easy).

The result? I crossed the finish line in 3:58 and got my sub-4:00! Lessons learned: mimic the race course with your long runs (and love hill work), listen to your body and alter your training plan as needed, tempo runs and marathon-paced long runs help your mental game, and run your easy runs easy.

If you are still reading this you are a trooper. Now go get yourself some caffeine. If you are glazed over and bored, I don’t blame you.

Next up…my training plan for the NJ Marathon (please keep the nail biting to a minimum)!